All you need to know ahead of Field Mill trip
Mansfield Town v Luton Town
Sky Bet League 2
Saturday 23rd January 2016, kick-off 3pm
Official live online commentary on Hatters Player
• Nathan Jones’s first away game in charge
• Town 18th, Mansfield ninth
• Hatters not scored in four matches
• Last Town goal was 100th-minute winner at Exeter
• Town without win in 13 league visits to Mansfield
WHO? Mansfield Town, aka the Stags, who play their games at Field Mill. This season is the club’s third back in the Football League after they won the Conference the season before the Town won the title. Their current boss is former Hatters midfielder Adam Murray.
HOW THEY DOING? The Stags really struggled last year, finishing in 21st place in League 2, just two places and seven points above the relegation zone. This season, however, Murray’s men have flirted with the Play-Offs and currently lie ninth in the table and just two points off the Play-Off places.
CURRENT FORM. A run of just two three in their last 10 games in League 2 has seen the Stags drop out of the top seven. Murray’s side have won just once in their last seven games – a 2-1 win over Stevenage – but have drawn three of their last six games. Last time out they lost 3-1 at Wimbledon. Mansfield are better on the road – six of their 10 wins have come on their travels, with Murray’s side winning just four of their 14 matches at Field Mill.
ONE TO WATCH. Back for a second spell at the club, striker Matt Green has nine League 2 goals to his name. Green hit 25 goals for the Stags when they won the Conference title which paved the way for a move to Birmingham. However he failed to find the same kind of form at St Andrews and re-joined the Stags this summer.
TICKETS PLEASE. Town fans have until 2pm to purchase tickets from the Luton Town ticket office with no tickets available on the day of the game at Field Mill. Click here for more information.
HOW TO GET THERE? From Luton Mansfield is 110 miles and around two hours north up the M1. Leave the M1 at Junction 29, take A617 to Mansfield. After six miles turn you will pass the Pheasant Inn on your left. At the next set of traffic lights, where there is a Tesco Store on one corner turn right into Rosemary Street (signposted Derby A38). Follow road for around one mile and after passing a Burger King and retail park on your right, turn right at the next traffic lights into Quarry Lane. The ground is up on the right hand side.
FIELD MILL MISERY. The Town have an appalling record at Field Mill, winning just once in 14 visits, and that was in a League Cup tie in 1989. In League matches the Town have never won at Mansfield, drawing six and losing seven. The Hatters have enjoyed some success at Mansfield, however. A 0-0 draw at Field Mill in 1970 was enough to clinch promotion from Division 3 (now League 1). Last season the Hatters lost 1-0 at Field Mill but the Hatters won by the same score in the meeting at Kenilworth Road back in September.
GOAL DROUGHT. The Hatters have not scored in four matches in League 2, a run of 360 minutes without a goal. The last time the Town scored was in the 100th minute at Exeter. Not since 2006 have the Hatters not scored in four successive matches. You have to go back to April 1994 for the last time the Town went five games without scoring. The Hatters have only scored three goals in their last six visits to Mansfield.
TOWN TEAM NEWS. The Hatters medical stuff with check on the fitness of Mark Tyler, Danny Green and Ryan Hall ahead of the game at Field Mill. All three had to be substituted in last weekend’s goalless draw with Cambridge. Otherwise, boss Nathan Jones has a fully-fit squad to choose from.
LIVE AND ONLINE. As ever, we’ll be reporting live from Field Mill. Build-up starts at midday, so get on our early blog on the Wall for all the latest updates.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for photos, videos and all the behind-the-scenes action. Hatters Player subscribers will be able to listen to live commentary from just before 3pm with Simon Pitts in the press box.
Post-match, remember to check out the official website, YouTube channel and Player for reports, interviews and photographs and don’t forget to tune in from midday on Sunday for all the highlights in glorious HD!